Stuffed animal coin bank

ABSTRACT

A “plush toy” coin bank in the shape of a stuffed animal, doll, or other figure is provided. The toy has a seated, forward-facing configuration so that a child can see the toy&#39;s face when he or she faces the toy and inserts coins. A coin slot is located in the front of the toy, e.g., at the top of the toy&#39;s tummy or in its chest. One or more LEDs and speakers and coin-actuated means for generating one or more lights and/or sound(s) are hidden inside the toy, the LED(s) being preferably located just beneath the toy&#39;s coat. When a coin is inserted in the coin slot, the LED(s) and speaker(s) are activated for a short period of time, and thereby encourage the child to continue inserting coins into the toy.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to children's toys and coin banks, in particular, “stuffed animals” and similar plush toys having a coin bank therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Young children love “stuffed animals” and other plush toys, which are soft and provide a sense of comfort when held and cuddled. Children are also fascinated by money, particularly coins. A traditional “piggy bank,” however, is typically made of ceramic or hard plastic and does not feel soft to the touch. In addition, piggy banks typically rest on all four legs, with the coin slot in the top, that is, in the piggy's back. This makes it less likely that a child will play with the bank in the same way a child would play with a stuffed animal or other plush toy. There is a need for a more child-friendly coin bank that is pleasant to hold, fosters the child's imagination, and encourages the child to save.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a “plush toy” coin bank: a bank in the shape of a “stuffed animal,” doll, or other figure. Preferably, the stuffed animal has a seated, forward-facing configuration so that a child can see the animal's face when he or she faces the toy and inserts coins. A coin slot is located in the front of the animal, e.g., at the top of the animals' tummy or in its chest. One or more LEDs and speakers and coin-actuated means for generating one or more lights and/or sound(s) are hidden inside the toy, the LED(s) being preferably located just beneath the animal's coat. These and other features will make the coin bank quite appealing to young children.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features and advantages of the invention will be understood more completely when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings (which are not necessarily drawn to scale), wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a stuffed animal coin bank according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a left side view of the coin bank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic, partially cut-away left side view of the coin bank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the coin bank shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the coin bank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the coin bank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the coin bank shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the coin bank shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a coin sensor and electrical components present in one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one aspect of the invention, a “stuffed animal” coin bank is provided and includes a soft, animal-shaped stuffed toy, having a seated, forward-facing pose, a coin slot in the front of the animal, e.g., at the top of the animal's tummy or its chest, and coin-actuated means for generating light and/or sound from within the toy, for example, one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or at one or more speakers. One embodiment of the animal coin bank—a “stuffed” giraffe—is shown in FIGS. 1-8. The giraffe 10 includes a head, legs, “hands,” chest, tummy, tail, and of course, a long neck. A coin slot 20 is located in the giraffe's chest, above the tummy and below the neck. A coin receptacle 30 is secured within the stuffed animal's body. A door 36 in the animal's seat provides access to the interior of the coin receptacle and thereby allows coins to be removed, such as when the bank is full.

The giraffe has a coat or “skin” formed of soft material, preferably a fabric, such as fustian, velvet, or a similar textile having a cut nap or pile, and is substantially filled with “stuffing,” i.e., soft cotton batting or other fill material. It will be appreciated, however, that other fabrics and other soft materials can be employed as desired. The animal's coat can be sewn together inside out, and then inverted so that the seams are somewhat hidden. Decorative features, such as a smile, nostrils, belly button, etc., are formed of embroidery or other stitches, and the eyes are plastic beads. In one embodiment of the invention, any of such features can be provided as an LED or group of LEDs. For example, each eye can be an LED; the smile can be made of multiple LEDs, etc. The LEDs light up when the bank is activated.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the coin receptacle 30 is generally cylindrical in shape, with a top 32 and bottom 34. The coin slot 20 is located at or near the top of the receptacle and extends into the interior of the receptacle, and the door 36 is located at the bottom of the receptacle. A coin sensor and other components (collectively denoted “CS” in FIG. 4) are also located within the coin receptacle. Alternatively, one or more components are located outside the coin receptacle, though still hidden within the stuffed animal.

The coin receptacle is readily formed from molded plastic or metal, and may be formed as two separate halves, which are then joined together by, e.g., glue, threaded fasteners, etc., when the toy is assembled. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a circumferential groove 40 is formed in the outer wall of the coin receptacle. As described below, the groove helps facilitate the attachment of the animal's coat to the receptacle. The coin receptacle is partly or wholly surrounded by cotton batting or other material that fills the interior of the stuffed animal.

It will be appreciated that the coin receptacle can have an alternate shape (not shown), such as a sphere, box, etc. Similarly, the door can have a shape other than the circular shape depicted in the drawings.

The door 36 includes a graspable handle 38 and engages the bottom of the coin receptacle with a simple press fit (see FIG. 4). In an alternate embodiment, the door has a plurality of tabs or slots (not shown) that mate with counterpart slots or tabs (not shown) formed in a part of the coin receptacle housing at its bottom. Alternatively, the cylindrical sidewall of the door is threaded, and the threads (not shown) can engage with, and disengage from, mated threads (not shown) in the coin receptacle housing. Other designs that enable the bank to be opened and closed readily can be employed in the alternative.

The animal's coat is secured to the coin receptacle at or near the bottom of the coin receptacle housing, for example circumferentially adjacent to the door 36 of the coin receptacle, as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, a circular opening (denoted by boundary 50) is provided in the seat of the animal's coat. An annular region 52 surrounding the opening is reinforced with extra stitches. This reinforced region of the animal's coat tightly engages the circumferential groove 40 formed in the outer sidewall of the coin receptacle. (In FIG. 8, a portion of the animal's coat is folded in on itself, partially obscuring a portion of the annular region 52.) Optionally, the coat is further affixed to the groove 40 with glue, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro® strips) or other fastening means.

The coin sensor 60 and other electrical components—controller, power supply, speakers, light-emitting diodes (LEDs)—are hidden inside the stuffed animal. A pair of wires 70, 72 extends from one or more of the components to the LEDs. (In FIG. 3, a cut away view of the left side of the giraffe, only a single LED 68 is visible.) In a preferred embodiment, the LEDs are located just below the surface of the animal's coat. Particularly preferred locations include the animal's checks and other parts of the face. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the LEDs are located in the animal's cheeks (circular regions 78 and 79), just beneath the surface of the animal's coat. Alternatively, the LEDs can be located in other regions of the toy, such as the nose, muzzle, forehead, horns, hands, feet, etc.

A block diagram showing the coin sensor coupled to various components is provided in FIG. 9. The coin sensor 60 is electrically coupled to a controller 62, which is electrically coupled to a power supply 64, one or more speakers 66, and one or more LEDs 68. The LED(s) and speaker(s) are at least indirectly coupled to the coin sensor.

Coin sensors are known in the gaming and vending machine industries. In one type of coin sensor, a pair of electrically conductive brushes or leads is located within or just below the coin slot and functions as an electrical switch. A closed electrical circuit is formed when a conductive coin passes through the slot and touches the brushes or leads. Other examples of coin sensors include capacitive sensors, inductive sensors, magnetic sensors, and optical sensors.

In one embodiment, the controller comprises an integrated circuit (IC), such as a 555 IC timer, a sound generator IC, or a microprocessor. Alternatively, the controller can be replaced by a non-integrated electrical circuit (non-IC) having a suitable resistor/capacitor network to generate a desired sound and activate the LEDs in response to a signal from the coin sensor.

If the controller is a 555 IC timer, it can be operated in monostable mode, with the coin sensor coupled to pin 2 (trigger) so that activation of the coin sensor causes a trigger pulse to be sent to the timer. The output of the timer is coupled to one or more LEDs, a tone generator, and one or more speakers. A resistor/capacitor pair is also coupled to the timer and allows one to set the duration of the timer output, which in turn controls how long the LED(s) and speaker(s) are activated.

A similar approach is used if a sound generator IC is employed, with the coin sensor being electrically coupled to one of the trigger pins on the chip, and an output pin coupled to one or more speakers and LEDs. Nonlimiting examples of sound generator ICs include the KS804-2 Sound Generator IC from Kowatec Corp. (San Jose, Calif., www.kowatec.com), which generates a wild animal sound, e.g., a lion, chimp, wolf, or elephant sound; the Kowatec KS404-1 Sound Generator IC, which generates dog and cat sounds; the SN76477N Sound Chip (Texas Instruments, Dallas, Tex.; www.ti.com); and the HK637-1 Sound Effect IC (Honsitak Electronics Co., Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan; www.honsitak-taiwan.com), which generates cat, dog, cow, and hen sounds. Custom sound generator ICs are also available from various companies.

If a microprocessor is employed as the controller, a desired animal sound or sounds, such as a whinny, snort, roar, chirp, etc., is stored in the microprocessor's memory or an associated memory chip or sound card. In an alternate embodiment, a short greeting or other phrase, or even one or more sentences can be recorded and stored in the memory chip or sound card.

The power supply comprises one or more batteries, preferably located inside the stuffed animal in close proximity to the coin sensor and other electronic components. When a 555 timer is employed as the controller, a positive voltage source, usually between 3 and 15V, is required. Modern sound generator ICs typically operate at lower voltages (e.g., 2.6V to 6V). Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, one or more small, single cell batteries known as “button,” “watch,” or “coin” cells are used to power the toy. An example is “CR2032,” a 3V lithium cell roughly 2-3 mm thick, with a 20 mm diameter. Alternatively, a 9V battery, or AA, or AAA batteries can be utilized. The battery or batteries are typically held in a battery holder having appropriate electrical connectors (e.g., wire leads, battery snaps, etc.) that permit the battery or batteries to be coupled to the controller and/or other components.

Although lithium cells are lightweight and take up little space, they can cause injury if swallowed. Hence, care should be taken to ensure that the battery or batteries, especially lithium batteries, cannot be accessed by a young child. In one embodiment of the invention, the batteries are secured in place within the interior of the toy and cannot be accessed, even when they are depleted. Alternatively, the battery holder can be hidden beneath a secure door or similar panel (not shown), which is fastened with one or more small screws. When the batteries die, an adult can open the panel to remove them and insert fresh ones.

When a coin is inserted into the slot 20 in the front of the animal, the coin sensor triggers the controller, which sends current to the LED(s) and the speaker(s) for a short period of time, e.g., 3-10 seconds. Inserting another coin into the slot causes the LED(s) to light up and the speaker(s) to emit sound again. The animal's forward-facing pose, the location of the coin slot in the front of the animal, e.g., above its tummy, and the placement of LEDs beneath the animal's coat, particularly in its face, encourage the child to face the animal and to “feed” it coins. The lights and sounds emitted from within the animal encourage continued interaction.

Upon reading this disclosure, other embodiments and modifications will be apparent to the skilled person. For example, the plush toy can be a stuffed animal other than a giraffe, such as a lion, cat, dog, elephant, bear, etc., or a doll or clown, or even a flower or other object that children enjoy. The toy can be configured with LEDs, but not speakers, in which case, it lights up, but makes no sound, when activated. Alternatively, the toy can be configured with speakers and a sound card or chip, but no LEDs, in which case it emits sound, but not light. All such embodiments and modification fall within the scope of the present invention, which is limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 

1. A stuffed animal coin bank, comprising: a soft toy in the shape of an animal, having a coat filled with stuffing and a seated, forward-facing pose; a coin receptacle inside the toy; a coin slot in the front of the toy, in communication with the coin receptacle; a coin sensor adapted to detect a coin when the coin is inserted into the coin slot; and one or more LEDs coupled to the coin sensor.
 2. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 1, wherein the animal has a tummy and the coin slot is located above the animal's tummy.
 3. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 1, wherein the animal has a chest and the coin slot is located in the animal's chest.
 4. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 1, wherein the animal has a face and at least one of the one or more LEDs is hidden in the animal's face beneath the coat, with light from the hidden LEDs being visible from outside the animal when the toy is activated.
 5. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 1, further comprising one or more speakers, coupled to the coin sensor.
 6. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 5, wherein the speaker(s) are hidden inside the animal.
 7. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 1, further comprising a controller, coupled to the coin sensor.
 8. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 7, further comprising further comprising at least one battery coupled to the controller.
 9. A stuffed animal coin bank, comprising: a soft toy in the shape of an animal, having a face, a coat filled with stuffing, and a seated, forward-facing pose; a coin receptacle inside the toy; a coin slot in the front of the toy, in communication with the coin receptacle; a coin sensor adapted to detect a coin when the coin is inserted into the coin slot; a controller coupled to the coin sensor; first and second LEDs coupled to the controller, hidden in the animal's face beneath the coat; and at least one speaker coupled to the controller, hidden inside the animal.
 10. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 9, further comprising further comprising at least one battery coupled to the controller.
 11. A plush toy coin bank, comprising: a soft toy in the shape of a doll or other figure, having a face, a coat filled with stuffing, and a seated, forward-facing pose; a coin receptacle inside the toy; a coin slot in the front of the toy, in communication with the coin receptacle; a coin sensor adapted to detect a coin when the coin is inserted into the coin slot; and one or more LEDs coupled to the coin sensor, hidden beneath the coat.
 12. The plush toy coin bank of claim 11, further comprising one or more speakers, coupled to the coin sensor.
 13. The plush toy coin bank of claim 12, wherein the speaker(s) are hidden inside the toy.
 14. The plush toy coin bank of claim 11, further comprising a controller, coupled to the coin sensor.
 15. The plush toy coin bank of claim 14, further comprising further comprising at least one battery coupled to the controller.
 16. A stuffed animal coin bank, comprising: a soft toy in the shape of an animal, having a coat filled with stuffing and a seated, forward-facing pose; a coin receptacle inside the toy; a coin slot in the front of the toy, in communication with the coin receptacle; a coin sensor adapted to detect a coin when the coin is inserted into the coin slot; and one or more speakers coupled to the coin sensor, hidden beneath the coat.
 17. The stuffed animal coin bank of claim 16, wherein the animal has a face and the bank further comprises one or more LEDs hidden in the animal's face beneath the coat, with light from the hidden LEDs being visible from outside the animal when the toy is activated. 